Was it even possible to remain just friends?
by Militan
Summary: Forest of Dean. What would have happened if Harry and Hermione grew closer after Ron left them? As their attraction grows stronger they need to decide if it is something worth throwing away their friendship for. Rated M for a reason.


Harry woke up from a pleasant dream. It was about Ginny. He could hear Hermione walking around in the tent and he quickly turned towards the wall to hide himself. Then reality hit him like a truck and he felt a stone appear in his stomach. Ron had left the night before. He wondered if he would find this place again, or if he would even want to come back? He lay there alone with his thoughts until he heard Hermione exit the tent. There was no need to hunt for animals at this moment so she was probably peeing. The bathroom was still not fit to be used he reckoned. Feeling lazy, he decided to get up.

He sat up in bed and stretched his arms. He stood up and walked towards the table were Hermione had prepared breakfast. As he approached the table Hermione entered the tent.

"Hi", Harry said automatically.

"Hi Harry", she said quietly without looking at him. Her eyes were red. She sat down and started to eat and he did the same. They said nothing during the meal and once she was done she walked to the other side of the tent. She sat down in a chair and brought up the Beetle and the Bard. However, instead of opening it and reading it for the hundredth time she began sobbing quietly.

Harry, feeling that he needed to give her some space, walked out from the tent. He walked towards a tree and took a piss. He wondered if she had went there too, and then wondered why he even thought that. He spent the day sitting outside the tent thinking about anything that they had missed, but he couldn't concentrate. The departure of Ron had drawn out the spirit of him, and as it appeared, Hermione as well. He sat there for most of the day looking at the marauders map until it started to get dark.

They ate without a word and spent the evening in silence. The following weeks were a blend of Hermione crying and Harry trying to figure out where Dumbledore could have hidden the sword. He was reading the books that Hermione brought, desperate to get any idea where it could be. But to no avail. The communication between Harry and Hermione were minimal. They only talked when it was time to switch the locket, or for other things that had to be done such as hunting and dinner. There was no friendly discussions, no laughs or anything. That was probably the worst part.

Harry noticed that he was starting to glance towards Hermione more and more lately. He would dream about her at night, and feel jolts in his stomach whenever she walked close to him. It didn't help either that Hermione had started to care less about what she wore, and since they were not able to shower for a while he had begun to smell her scents. The smell was undeniably female and it made him think of little else than her. He tried to suppress these feelings since they did have a job to do, and since she still seemed to give him no talking treatment, but it was getting harder and harder to do so.

He had woken up that day with Hermione sitting in her chair reading her book. He had eaten breakfast then followed her lead, sitting in another chair on the other side of the tent, in view of her. He began to read the history of magic, again for the hundredth time in an attempt to figure out where the sword could be located. But as the day wore on he couldn't help looking at her from time to time. Today Hermione was wearing just a t-shirt and sweat pants. He wondered if she cared if he saw him, or if she knew that the sight made his heartbeat rise. She rose up from her chair and he noticed when she walked towards the kitchen that her sweat pants stuck to her butt so that her form was visible through the fabric. He felt a powerful jolt through his body and his dick awoke. She looked back at him and he looked away. He remembered that he hadn't masturbated in some time and he thought that it was about time. Usually he had done it when Ron and Hermione went out to hunt and he stayed to guard the locket. It was a bit more difficult now since Hermione barely ever left the tent, and it felt like she would know if he did it while she was there.

She kept looking at him and started to walk towards him. He looked up as she approached. He couldn't help thinking how beautiful she was. Involuntarily he glanced down her chest and noticed that she did not wear a bra this day. _God damn it Hermione. Why are you doing this to me?_ , he thought. Her breasts formed an outline against the t-shirt that she wore. He quickly looked up again but he could feel his dick getting harder and harder. He put his book on his lap in an attempt to conceal himself while focusing on Hermione's eyes. Hermione stopped in front of him.

"I think we better do it now", said Hermione.

"Ehh, I", hawked Harry. Could she really mean...? There was no way...but what else could she mean? If she had noticed his glances, and even worse used legilimency to read his thoughts she would know. Maybe she felt the same? The new thoughts that burst in his head didn't make him any less aroused. His dick lengthened even more and he felt the book ascending slightly. He pressed it down.

"Sorry? What did you say?". Hermione had a questioning look on her face. When Harry didn't answer she continued. "I think it's about time. We can't wait any longer".

It was now feeling painful pressing the book down on his crotch. And what she said didn't make it any easier. It was now clear what she wanted. It must be sex, right? Harry felt an excitement that he has never felt before.

"Well...", Harry said trying to keep his voice steady. "If you want to".

Hermione looked at him for awhile. Her face growing more stern.

"What are you talking about? It's not what _I_ want", she said in a tone he had almost never heard her use against him before. "We have already been here for too long, and everyday that we stay here is a risk. I have tried to wait as long as possible, but...but it seems that...". She broke off. A tear reluctantly started to flow on her face again.

Realizing now what she had meant and what a dick he had been he said, "I'm sorry Hermione, and you are right. It is time". She remained, but the disapproval in her face disappeared. "Just give me one minute", Harry said trying to end the conversation. Satisfied with this response she walked away and started to pack. Feeling that his dick was going down he sighed a breath of relief and stood up.

They packed all day and were ready an hour before dark. Hermione reached out her hand. Harry took it and felt immediately a surge of electricity running in his body from her touch. They disapparated and reappeared at another part in the forest. She let go of his hand at once and began going around putting up the defensive spells. Harry started to take out the tent and assembled it with a spell he had read from one of the books that Hermione had brought. She stopped and looked at him for a second, then continued casting her spells. He wondered if she was impressed that he knew that spell, since she had always done it before, and she had done it non verbally. This thought only lingered for a brief moment since it quickly appeared to him that being able to setup a normal tent is not something that would usually impress a girl.

After it was done they went into the tent. It was getting dark and they decided to eat something quickly and then go to bed. After another meal in silence they lay down on their respective beds. He heard an audible inhale and expected her to say something, but she remained quiet. He was awake for a long time, unable to fall asleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the image of her in only her t-shirt and sweat pants. After what felt like hours he finally fell asleep.

He opened his eyes next morning seeing the face of Hermione looking down on him.

"Morning", she said. Still not cheerful, but at least she was talking to him again.

"Morning Hermione", Harry said trying to sound indifferent. He then froze, realizing that he had a respectable morning wood that had raised the blanket like a tent. "What..what's up?", he said nervously wondering what to do. He felt that trying to conceal himself would only lead to discovery and awkwardness. Had she really approached him without noticing him like this? This situation didn't help him go down either.

She was about to speak when she glanced towards his creation. She quickly looked away and he saw that her cheeks started to get pink. She looked again at Harry without acknowledging what she saw.

"I know you would want to go to Godrics Hollow Harry", she started. "But you can't. We can't".

"Whaat?", he hissed. His voice sounded weak and distant.

"Voldemort will be there. He will know that we are coming". She was talking so loud that his ears hurt. "Please promise me that you won't, or I will have to convince you".

The feeling was surreal. It didn't feel like he had anything to say. Her reasoning didn't make any sense, so he remained quiet.

"Harry Potter! Have you heard anything that I have told you", she said. Her voice echoed in his head. When he didn't respond she shook his shoulder lightly. He groaned, feeling that he couldn't that even the lightest touch from her would set him off. Her elbow accidentally touched his erect dick.

"Aa", he breathed. "Hermione please".

Now she looked again at his boner that was clearly visible through the blanket. Without a word she ripped off the blanket and jumped on top of him straddling him. Neither he or she said anything. She sat there for awhile and looked at him in a way that she had never done before. If he hadn't been fully erect before he was now. Her beautiful figure clearly visible through the shirt she was wearing. She moved back and in one move pulled down his boxers and took his dick in her mouth. The sensation was incredible. She took his whole length and started to suck greedily. "Hermione", he whispered while breathing heavily. "Ah Hermione". His vision started to fail him however the sucking sounds grew louder. He was getting closer and closer as she kept sucking like he never though she could. Soon after he reached the point of no return, tensed up and came big inside her mouth. The pleasure was indescribable as he emptied weeks worth of cum inside her. She raised her head, swallowed and said: "I thought we were friends". Harry's vision grew even worse. "I thought we were friends Harry", she said again and he was blind. "I though we were friends. I thought we were friends". The voice faded away.

He woke up sweaty and warm and immediately knew that it had been a dream. He could hear Hermione on the other side making her bed and panicked. Had he said anything aloud? Had he caused her to wake up because of the sound he had made. The dream had been so vidid. He had never experienced a dream so vidid with exception to when he went into Voldemort's mind, but that was different. He now realized that he had another problem. He had ejaculated during his dream and his blanket and boxers were a mess. He didn't think he could manage to sneak off to the bathroom without her seeing him. Although that would be a horrible idea at the moment anyway. He tried reaching for his wand but it was too far away. He reached out as far as he could and thought, _accio._ It didn't move. Of course it didn't. He couldn't perform wandless magic with the incantation so why would he be able to do it non verbally? He pulled back his hand again and sighed in disappointment. No longer thinking about sex his thoughts returned to his mission again and he quickly became depressed. How could he ever defeat Voldemort? He was lousy at magic, nothing compared to wizards that had fallen easily to Voldemort. Before he could delve too far into his hole of despair his wand appeared in front of his face. He turned around and saw Hermione standing next to his bed.

"Here", she said. She wasn't looking at him.

"Thanks", he said feeling the awkwardness that appeared. He grabbed the wand and she quickly walked towards the bathroom. As soon as she had closed the door he raised the blanket and whispered: _Tergio._ The mess was gone.

After a few minutes he stood up and stretched. Surprisingly he could hear the water from the shower running. Did Hermione fix it, he wondered? He decided to do something useful. He pulled on his jacket and invisibility cloak before he went out of the tent. It was getting cold outside and firewood would be needed in the weeks to come. He walked around for a few minutes enjoying the fresh air. Then he raised his wand towards the branch of the closest tree and murmured: _Diffindo_ as he made a curt slash with his wand. The branch fell hard towards the ground. He cut the rest of the branches from the tree and from the other nearby trees, and cut the branches into smaller pieces. He made a small pile of the wood. He pointed at the pile and said: _Wingardium Leviosa._ The pile lifted into the air and as he walked it levitated beside him. When he returned to the tent he saw that Hermione had come out from the shower. She wore a towel around her body and she was preparing breakfast. He lowered the pile just inside the tent and walked inside. She looked up.

"Oh you got some firewood". She smiled slightly. It was the first time she had smiled since Ron left. His mood lightened at the sight. "Thanks Harry for doing that. I could have done it myself but it's such as chore".

"Would be worse without magic", Harry said grinning. "I don't mind at all. You are doing enough Hermione. I don't know what Ro...we would ever do without you", he stopped. They had gone weeks without saying Ron's name. Harry almost saying it removed the warm atmosphere from the tent. He decided to talk about something else before it turned out to be another day of silence and loneliness.

"So...you fixed the bathroom", Harry asked curiously. He thought about how stupid Ron had been the day he had left. Not only had he left, but he had accidentally cursed the bathroom as well. At least Harry thought it was accidental. It was so stupid that it must have been accidental. While Hermione was outside Harry had heard Ron muttering in the bathroom about any and everything that he was annoyed with. He started to say some quite nasty words and he must have been holding his wand because suddenly there was a loud crack. He hurried out of the bathroom. To be fair he was quite remorseful. But he didn't know exactly what he had done and neither Harry nor Hermione knew how to undo the curse. After Ron left neither of them had the motivation to fix it.

"Yes she said", trying to sound as light hearted as before. "I began reading the book _Uncommon curses and their counters_ by Steven Roscow the other day. And when I entered the bathroom today I realized that the green ooze pouring from the toilet was actually caused by the Dogmeus curse and the red smoke appearing from the shower was a strange curse that could be reversed using the...", she stopped. They looked at each other for a few seconds.

"Reversed using what Hermione?", Harry said curiously.

"Err the Zefesar charm undid it.". She looked thoughtful. "You didn't interrupt me. I thought you would."

"Why on earth would I do that?", said Harry raising his eyebrows. "Have I done that before?"

"I don't know... No, not really when I think about it. Thanks Harry". She gave him a big smile. He knew what she was thinking about. Ron always used to interrupt her when she was explaining details of her discoveries or her work. Harry couldn't remember if he actually had been doing this to her as well, the only thing he knew was that the more she was talking to him the happier he would get.

"It was Brilliant, Hermione", Harry said. "It was getting tiring to have to go outside", he smirked. "Showering is a bonus as well".

"Well", she said. "If you had only spent some more time reading you would have known the spells yourself, and you wouldn't need me". Harry smiled. She was starting to act like Hermione again.

"Not needing you?", Harry said with a grin on his face. "I can't see that ever happening. I reckon I wouldn't survive a week without you". He looked at her for a moment. She blushed and looked away. She looked like she was at the edge of tears. He didn't understand why, the conversation seemed to be going well.

"You..", she began. "You have done so much by yourself Harry. Faced situations that I could never handle". She looked down on the floor.

"Come off it Hermione. With all the things we've been through, you still think you're inadequate?". When she didn't answer he walked up towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Listen Hermione. You are the smartest, bravest witch that I've ever known. You are my best friend and I would trust you with my life. More than anyone else". She looked up and their eyes met.

"Really?", she said quietly. "Do you really mean that Harry?". Harry nodded. She smiled sincerely and he returned the smile. Then suddenly her face became serious. They looked at each other for a few seconds until Harry realized that he was still holding Hermiones bare shoulders. He let go and backed away.

"I should go take a shower", he said quickly

"Oh yes. And I need to change", she said walking away quickly.

Harry walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Should he have kissed her? He didn't know. The only thing he knew was that the moment was gone once he removed his hands from her. He had never really seen her as a woman before these past weeks. And she had always acted like he was just a friend. And there was the dream. She was saying "I thought we were friends". Even if she was a figment of his imagination the wording of that phrase still confounded him. Was the thought of her and him performing sexual acts a betrayal of their friendship? It must be. He doubted that there would ever be any sexual tension between them unless they were locked in a tent together. Right? But still every time he tried closed his eyes he was imagining how she looked naked.

Did it really matter though? During the entire autumn he had longed to see Ginny again even if he knew it was impossible. He wanted to touch her, kiss her, and was constantly worried that something had happened to her. Ron's remark that he didn't care had hurt a lot. But it was unlikely that he would ever see her again. This fact was something that he had known ever since Dumbledore had died. He would never live a happy live, never be married or have children. And Ron. He had always liked Hermione, but it was unlikely that they would ever see him again either. Relationships didn't really matter now. The only thing that mattered was stopping Voldemort. He undressed, went into the shower and turned on the water.

He stayed there for what felt like an hour. Clearing his mind and enjoying the first shower in weeks. When he went out he wrapped a towel around himself and walked slowly to the common area. He walked to his bag and grabbed some clothes. Hermione had just finished her breakfast and stood up holding her plate. He felt her gaze linger. He didn't know how he knew but it excited him a bit. He turned around and sure enough Hermione was watching him. She looked away but made an involuntary smile. She looked back at him.

"You took so long Harry. Your breakfast is cold now.", she said with a smile. "You could reheat it though, if you know the spell".

"i take it you won't tell me", Harry said with a feigned look of disappointment. "Annoyed with me?"

"A little", she said. "I had, after all, served you breakfast"

His smile faded a bit. "I was...deep in thought", he said.

"Anything in particular?", she said curiously.

"Only what we both know"

"That he is not coming back?", she said. Sadness appeared on her face again. She started to speak again, but stopped.

"Yeah", he murmured. "And it is unlikely we'll ever see them again. Ron, Ginny...". He trailed off. "Sorry Hermione. I never meant to..."

"I know Harry. At least we got each other though?", she said.

"Yeah", he said. They looked at each other in silence for awhile. Then she went with her plate to the kitchen. He grabbed his clothes, dressed and went to the table to eat. She had lied. The food was still warm. _I love her_ , he thought and started to eat.

When he was almost done, she came back from the kitchen. Her hips moving rhythmically to each side when she walked. She stopped a few steps from the table.

"Why don't we take a walk today?", she said.

"Really Hermione? What for?", he said after swallowing the scrambled egg he was eating.

"I think we need a change in environment for a bit. I have stayed in this tent for so long I'm starting to feel crazy"

"Fine by me", he said.

They put on jackets and went out. Harry had brought the cloak as well but when Hermione approached him expecting him to cover them both with the cloak he stepped aside.

"Let's not use the cloak this time", he said. She raised her eyebrows. "It is too difficult to walk around under it", he continued. "At the first sound we hear I'll take it out.". He didn't want to be under the cloak with Hermione at this time. The feeling of being so close to her would only make him more and more frustrated.

"Okay then Harry", she said. But if death eaters come and attack us it's on you.

"If death eaters come and attack us I will use the Zefesar charm on them.", Harry said while stowing away the cloak.

She giggled. "That would not be pretty, I assure you".

"Yeah I know, why do you think I said it?". They started to walk, slowly beside each other alongside the leafless trees.

"Maybe, Harry, because _I_ talked about that charm before. You do get bonus points for remembering though.". Harry laughed. He had missed this side of Hermione.

"Did it ever occur to you, _Hermione,_ that I actually knew the spell from before? I read about it the other day in your book."

"Then why didn't you undo the curse yourself?"

He started to speak but stopped. He was about to say _Because I enjoyed it when you didn't shower,_ but he figured that it would be a bad thing to say to her. "Maybe I'm just not as smart as you are Hermione. You were the one who made the connection between red smoke and the Zefesar charm. I couldn't figure it out."

"That is just nonsense Harry", she said. But she seemed happy hearing him compliment her.

They talked and walked for an hour when they finally came across a small lake. She suggested that they would stay there for awhile. Harry took out his wand a pointed it on the ground. He had never tried using this spell non verbally but it had to be done now, when Hermione was there. He waved it in a circular pattern and the result was immediate. The grass around them was now dry and warm. Hermione looked pleased but didn't say anything. They sat down next to each other.

They sat there for a few minutes without saying anything, just staring out at the dark lake. She was sitting close to Harry and he felt that he could just sit there for hours. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he responded by putting his arm around her waist. Time disappeared and his head was empty of everything except this moment. It was getting darker. He turned his head towards her and noticed that she was looking at him. He could feel the moment, and he knew that he wouldn't step away this time. But before any of them could do anything they heard a cracking noise from somewhere close. He reacted instinctively. He pulled himself and her up to a standing position, concentrated on the location of their tent, and they disapparated.

They appeared within a few yards from their tents. They quickly hurried inside.

"Harry", Hermione gasped. "What was that?"

"I don't know. But it sounded big. A person, or a big animal. I couldn't take that chance."

"We should leave as soon as possible", she said. "If it was a death eater..."

"If it was a death eater they still can't find this place. And it is too dark to move tonight anyway."

"But Harry? - What if..."

"We'll move to another place tomorrow. Going tonight would only endanger ourselves more."

She reluctantly agreed with the final word "At first light", and then went to bed. Harry stayed up for a few more hours almost expecting something to happen. He was still unsure if he had made the right decision and wanted to be sure before he felt a sleep. As he lay there he thought he heard some distant sounds that was getting closer. He went up to investigate. Outside of the tent was only darkness in all directions. The sound was fading, the creature that made the noise had gone into the other direction. _It must have been an animal,_ he thought. Satisfied with this he went back in with the intention of going to sleep.

He stopped dead in front of Hermiones bed. She was breathing heavily with her mouth slightly open. A moan slipped out. His body reacted instantly. He felt his dick move. She let out another soft moan and started to breathe even faster. He couldn't move. His feet was stuck at the spot like if he was standing on glue. She moaned a bit loader and then whispered: "Harry". His dick was now approaching its full length while he was watching her reacting to what he supposed was a dream about him. He knew he should walk away, go into his own bed. But he couldn't move. He moaned more frequently now, her breathing was getting heavier and more frequent. Then her entire body started to spasm and her breathing became normal once more. Harry had never seen anything more amazing in his life. He felt he could move again. He went into the bathroom, rubbed one out and went back into bed. He fell asleep directly.

When he woke up he noticed that the tent had emptied, she had packed almost everything. Yawning, he sat up and walked towards the bathroom. His mind was still processing the images from yesterday. As he opened the door he immediately became fully awake. He gaped in astonishment as he saw Hermione standing there in just her panties. He gazed on her for a moment, taking in the sight of her naked breasts. Her perky tits turned towards him, and before he knew that she had noticed him he heard a squeal. He looked up and saw that she was now looking straight at him. She immediately tried to cover herself.

"Sorry", he blasted out and turned around. He hurried back to the main area with the image of her tits still imprinted in his mind. They looked incredible. He had thought about her naked, dreamed about her but the actual thing far surpassed what he could have imagined. Having his back turned towards the bathroom he didn't hear her exiting.

"Harry?", she said gently. He turned around. She had put on a t-shirt to cover her breasts, he noticed that she had not bothered to take on pants. His dick, which was pressing on his pants, felt painful. He lowered his left hand in an attempt to cover himself. Hermione glanced down and looked up again quickly. Her cheeks became pink.

He couldn't stand it anymore. He walked up to her, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss passionately. They kissed for so long that it felt that time had stopped. As they broke away she was looking at him with pure desire in her eyes, but also with some worry.

"I thought we were friends Harry", she said. This made Harry's heart sink a bit. "I thought you were in love with Ginny?"

He looked at her, half expecting her to vanish so he would wake up.

"This isn't a dream is it Hermione?".

She shook her head. Then she took his arm and pinched him hard. He gasped.

"See, no dream", she said with a very un Hermione like smile.

"I disagree", he continued. "This is beyond any dream I've ever had". He grabbed her tight and kissed her again. After a few seconds she pushed him away.

"Harry. Don't try to avoid this.". She paused for a few seconds. "Isn't this wrong?"

 _I don't care_ , he wanted to say but he remained quiet.

"I care about you a lot Harry. But I never expected that anything like this would happen. You mean so much to me as a friend and I would hate to lose that."

"I don't know what to say Hermione". He truly didn't. It felt like he was handling this completely in the wrong way.

"Can't we remain friends?", she asked cautiously.

 _NO,_ he thought. "Ok... if you want", he said. The feeling of jubilation was disappearing quickly.

"I'm sorry Harry". She kissed him on the cheek. "But I think this is for the best. And plus, find the horcruxes and defeating You-Know-Who is what matters in the end"

"Yeah", he agreed. She gave him half a smile and walked off.

As she walked and his mind cleared something clicked in his head. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it. But hearing Hermione quoting the Hermione from his dream word for word made him remember.

"Godrics Hollow", he announced. She turned around.

"Godrics Hollow? What about it?"

"That is the place we need to go. Think about it. Bathilda Bagshot, who was an old friend of Dumbledore, lives there. Don't you think..."

"That Dumbledore left the sword there", Hermione finished. "Harry you're right. That would be a good place for Dumbledore to leave the sword. Not to mention that Godric Gryffindor also lived there". She looked around. "Can we first disapparate to another location before we discuss more. I don't feel comfortable staying her for much longer."

They packed up and disapparated under the invisibility cloak. When they had arrived Harry performed the defensive spells while Hermione prepared the tent. When they were inside they started to plan.

A few days later they had finished their plans. They would take poly juice potion to prevent being discovered and they would apparate under the invisibility cloak. Harry had been practicing non verbal spells as well and felt that he was improving. He had been learning a lot of new magic lately and felt that these weeks had not been all in vain. Hermione had just come back from the final task that had to be done before they could go. Harry got excited when he saw her. She had only been gone for a few hours but the effect was the same. These past days had been frustrating for him. She was acting like nothing had happened between them but he could barely handle it. Just seeing her walking by would make his insides turn. Feeling her warmth when she was close or smelling the scents of her hair would make him immediately aroused. It was unbearable. She walked up to him with a triumphant expression.

"So..", he asked, trying to keep his gaze on her eyes. "You got it?"

"Yes". She took out two small bags, opened them and took out two hair pieces. "Two muggle hairs. They looked normal enough. They won't be noticeable I think."

"Good job. We are ready to go then"

As the twilight came they packed down the tent and were getting ready. They drank their poly juice potion and transformed into two middle aged muggles. Under the invisibility cloak Hermione undid the protective enchantments and they disapparated. When they appeared they noticed that Godrics Hollow was filled with snow, with new flakes coming down from the sky steadily.

"No", Hermione whispered. "I didn't think about the snow"

"No point in wearing the cloak then", Harry said. He pulled it off. "We look like muggles. It should be enough."

They walked along the street and noticing the lights in the houses, the warm light and the Christmas stockings that were hanging on the wall.

"Harry", Hermione said. "It must be Christmas Eve today". Harry didn't answer. The thought of people being able to celebrate something right now felt strange, almost alien. They continued walking until they came up to what appeared to be the gate to a cemetery. Harry stopped and looked at Hermione. When she didn't give him a look of disapproval he entered the gate. They walked together until they came upon a stone where it said Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore.

"Look Harry", Hermione said. "These are Dumbledore's sister and mother"

"So it's true", Harry said. Harry felt a sting in his body. Dumbledore and he had both lost family here. They had this connection but Dumbledore had never bothered to tell him. As he stood there Hermione had walked away on her own. He began walking again trying to find the graves of his parents. After a few minutes she called out of him again. He walked towards her but to his disappointment it wasn't the grave of his parents that she had found. It was a very old grave with the name Peverell. Feeling slightly annoyed he bit back the, _So what?_ , and instead said. "Peverell. Never heard of them."

"Look at the sign", she said. He looked. It was a triangular eye with a vertical line in the middle. "It is the same sign as in the book Beetle and the Bard. And also the same sign as Xenophilius Lovegood wore at the wedding".

"Interesting", Harry said. He understood that she wanted to talk about it more but right now the only thing he cared about was to find his parents. He walked away in another direction and after another few minutes he heard her voice again. From the tone of her voice he understood that she had found them. He quickly went over there. Hermione stood in front of a beautiful gravestone with a somber look at her face. On the grave it said:

 **James Potter**

 **Lily Potter**

 _The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death_

The last sentence unsettled him. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. Hermione must have seen his dismay and said:

"I don't think it should be interpreted like the death eaters would", she said gently. "More that...you know after death they are always with you. Living beyond death."

Harry thought about this for a moment. And suddenly tears began flowing from his eyes. He desperately tried to stop them but it seemed that his eyes had a will of his own. Hermione came closer to him and embraced him from the side. She leaned her head on his chest and rested it there. They remained like this for several minutes. When Harry had pulled himself together he drew his wand and made a bouquet of flowers on the gravestone. He looked up, narrowed his eyes and said:

"There is someone over there". Hermione looked up. There was a figure standing outside the cemetery, but it was unclear if the figure was observing them.

"If it is a death eater", Hermione started. "They shouldn't recognize us. We should appear like two common muggles."

"Two common muggles who has been standing next to my parents graves, putting flowers there."

The started to move away briskly in another direction, away from the figure. As they appeared at the gate they went out and walked along the street.

As they walked Harry suddenly realized that they were holding each others hands. He looked at Hermione, or the middle aged woman that she was impersonating. He stopped and observed her.

"I still see you in there", he said and smirked. "No amount of poly juice potion could hide the Hermione I know"

"Stop it", she said but let out an amused smile.

They walked even further and then it appeared in front of them. A house in ruins. His parents house. At the entrance there was a sign, dedicated to Harry Potter. _The only one to survive the killing curse_. As he looked at it further he could see writing all around the sign. The most recent ones were a combination of _Good luck Harry_ , _We're all counting on you._ It felt surreal to stand in front of his parents house. The house that could have been his life. Hermione had wrapped her arm around Harry. This mission could take months, even years. Could it be possible to have a family with Hermione, if they were on the run? He thought for a minute. Of course not. Of course that wouldn't work.

"Harry", whispered Hermione. "There is someone here". Harry turned around and saw what appeared to be an old woman. standing on the other side of the street. They looked at each other with the same thought in their heads. They slowly started to approach her. When they were close enough Harry spoke.

"Are you Bathilda?". She nodded. Harry looked at Hermione but before he could say something to her the old woman gestured to them to follow her, so they did.

"I think you were right", whispered Hermione. They walked until they came along a house. It was an old house which looked dark and bleak. As they walked inside he noticed that there was no light at all, and the smell was strong and putrid. As they came in Hermione went to the common area to start a fire.

"Come here", she said to Harry and he followed. Hermione quickly caught up to them but the woman stopped. She pointed at Harry, and then herself, then to the ceiling. They walked but when Hermione followed she looked at her and shook her head decisively. Apparently she wanted to go only with Harry. Hermione walked close to Harry and whispered.

"I don't have a good feeling about this Harry - Why would she try to separate us.". He leaned in.

"Maybe Dumbledore told her just to give the sword to me." He looked at the old woman, and then back at Hermione. "Don't worry. If it comes to it I think I can't handle an old woman." He looked at her reassuringly and walk away with Hermione remaining there.

They walked up some very steep stairs and once they came up Bathilda talked.

"In here. Inside the door.". They both went into a room that was dark and smelly. Magical items were laying around and there was a human sized full body armor standing by the wall. It was holding a sword with both hands, and looked very old as it resembled the knights that he had read about in muggle school. He drew his wand and whispered _Lumos,_ and light appeared from his wand. As he walked behind her he suddenly thought of Mad Eye Moody. What would he think of the situation that he was in? Going inside this shabby house with a shady stranger. With a sudden inspiration, and the line _Constant vigilance_ echoing in his head he pointed his wand towards the knight and waved his wand slightly. The old woman turned around and looked at him.

"Are you Potter?", she whispered.

"Yes", he answered a bit louder. "Do you have something for me?". She didn't answer him. "Do you have something for me, Balthilda?", he repeated. Her gaze was fixed on his wand. The locket that he was wearing was now beating hard on his chest. It was feeling heavy, and his scar had started to prickle. Suddenly the pain overwhelmed him and he was Voldemort. He could hear himself say "Hold him", in a high clear voice. He was back in the room, sweat had formed on his face. The old woman was now looking at him straight in his eyes. His scar was burning.

"I have something for you", she hissed. In a second her body morphed, the clothes fell to the ground and a huge snake appeared. It moved at him quickly. He reacted, pointed his wand at the snake and shouted

 _Zefesa..._

But he was not fast enough. The snake had already struck. It bit him straight in his right arm and he screamed loudly. He let go the grip of his wand and it flew away across the room. The snake wrapped itself across his body and started to constrict. His glasses got hit and they got flown across the room. Then the knight came forward running loudly on the floor, it drew its sword and cut the snake with an incredible force. The force of the cut was so strong that it vibrated within Harry. The cut didn't go through the body of the snake but it unwillingly let go its grip of Harry. Harry crawled away, seeing only shadows of the battle that was now between the snake Nagini and the armored knight. He saw a light a few meters away and crawled quickly towards it. It was his wand, still emitting light. He grabbed it and said _Accio glasses._ He glasses flew towards him and he put them on. Once he could see again he noticed that the armored knight was lying on the ground in pieces.

The snake moved with an amazing speed toward him and he realized that he didn't have enough time to say the spell aloud. He pointed his wand at the table nearby and waved it towards the snake. The table flew towards the snake and hit it hard. It hit the wall but recovered quickly. Hermione had just entered the room, wand in hand.

"Harry. What..?". Suddenly Harry's head exploded. He could see Voldemort approaching.

"He is coming", Harry let out. "He is already here". He ran towards her but fell. The pain was immeasurable. One second he was in his body, one second he was Voldemort. The snake was attacking. He heard Hermione shouting

 _Confringo_

But the spell rebounded on the snake, seemingly unaffected. The spell hit all kinds of things around the room. Things were exploding which delayed the snake from reaching them.

"I got you", Hermione said as she grabbed Harry and with a glance towards the top of the stairs, she threw herself and Harry outside the window.

Harry was not alive, he knew it. But why did he feel such pain then? He was Voldemort, ascending the stairs. He saw a two middle aged muggles throwing themselves out the window before disapparating. He roared. Again Harry Potter had escaped from him. And it was dark. Harry felt a series of emotions in the darkness. Pain, anger. He was now deep inside Voldemorts mind. He saw through him the day when his parents died. It was so vidid. He was Voldemort. Voldemort killed his father who didn't even have a wand. Stepped over his body and moved upstairs. The silly girl wouldn't move aside, so he killed her. Then he pointed the wand towards the boy. _AVADA KEDAVRA_

Harry woke up. He was sweating all over his body. He was laying in his bed inside the tent. Hermione was sitting beside with with a worried look. She was holding a sponge. She had been cleaning his face.

"We got away", he said. He noticed that it was almost dawn.

"Yes", said Hermione. "You were too heavy. I had to use the hover charm to get you into your bed. You have been illl...saying things"

Harry felt uneasy. What had he said? Had he been shouting curses like Voldemort. He didn't want to think about it, and he guessed neither did Hermione because she said

"I couldn't get the horcrux off you. I had to sever it using a charm. The snake also bit you, I had to use dittany and some healing magic on you". She stopped. "What happened in there?"

"The snake...", Harry said. "The snake was Bathilda. She must have been dead for some time. It attacked me and I managed to hold it off...It called Him...Hermione it is my fault. We should never have gone there. You warned me, and I didn't listen"

"I didn't warn you", she said surprised. "What are you talking about?"

"You warned me in my dream. You said not to go there, that You-Know-Who would be there - But I wanted to go...tempted to see"

She chuckled, which turned into her clearing her throat. "You are silly", but her face turned serious quickly again.

"If only we had killed the snake, it would have been worth it", said Harry. "The knight injured it but the snake was too powerful."

"What knight?", Hermione asked. Harry told her about the armored knight that he had transfigured to fight for him, and how it saved him from the constriction of the snake. Hermione gasped.

"Harry. That is amazing", she said. "The use of such advanced transfiguration in battle is almost unheard of."

"It was too slow", he muttered. The snake had already bit me, I didn't have time to do anything before it attacked.

"But Harry", she said with the same tone. "This is something that only very powerful wizards can perform in the heat of battle."

"Don't Hermione", he interjected. "It wasn't like that". There was a silence. "Where is the horcurx?", he asked.

"Oh...I have it hear, around my neck"

"Good...And my wand?", it just came to him that he didn't see it anywhere. Hermione looked miserable.

"Harry...I", she began.

"My wand Hermione...where is it?"

"I'm so sorry Harry", she was close to tears. "During the explosions in the room it was knocked out of your hand by the shockwave - I summoned it with my wand but...". She handed the wand to Harry. It was broken in the middle, with only the phoenix hair connecting the two sides. His heart fell when he saw it.

"I am sorry Harry. It was my spell that did it.". He was silent for a few seconds then spoke.

"Mend it"

"Harry. I don't think..."

"Please, Hermione"

She raised her wand and said _Reparo_. The wand came together into one piece. Harry raised the wand at said _Lumos_ , a faint light appeared at the tip of the want. He pointed the wand at his glasses and said _Accio_. They did not move but the middle of his wand cracked once again, exposing the phoenix hair. He lowered his head in disappointment

"Don't worry about it Hermione", he said with a forced smile. "If it wasn't for you we would have both been caught by the snake.". But inside he felt only despair. That wand had been the one thing that had given him a chance all the times he had faced Voldemort. "I'll borrow your wand when I go out.". He started to go up from the bed.

"No Harry, stay", she said. "You are not well."

"I feel fine, Hermione.", unabled to stay there doing nothing. "It is you who look tired. You need some rest Mione. I'll take the locket as well"

She was about to talk then paused. "When have you ever called me Mione, Harry?"

"I dunno. It just felt right to say it now"

"So you are not mad then?". He mouthed the word _no_ without saying it. She hugged him, then handed him the locket and went to her own bed.

It was not a pleasant day for him. It felt that they were getting back to square one. He had absolutely no idea what to do next, and it was getting so cold outside that he couldn't stay there for long. He looked at the marauders map and looked for Ginny. But of course she wasn't there, she was at home in the Burrow eating amazing food from Mrs. Weasley. Assuming that they were all ok. And Ron, he wondered if he was there as well. With this he felt his own hunger and when out to hunt with Hermiones wand. He found a deer and stupified it. He then slashed his wand and thought _Diffindo_ and the head of the deer separated from its body. He hoped that it didn't feel any pain. As he came back to the tent he prepared the meal and ate.

In the next days the weather was getting rough, with ice cold winds creeping into the tent. As far as he could see there was a blizzard coming, and it would be bad. He had already gathered a large amount of firewood and the fire in the tent was constantly fed with more wood. Hermione had cast spells on the tent so that it would be able to handle a rough storm. As it was getting later in the day they ate a good meal and then sat down in one of the couches. They brainstormed ideas on where the sword could be and the location of the other horcruxes but it was either the same ideas as before, or improbable ideas.

"Ok...so not the orphanage", Hermione said. "I don't know where else they could be...and it is so cold". She wasn't lying. When were wearing many blankets around them but it was still freezing.

"I'm sure it must be Hogwarts", he said once more.

"I know you have said that. But even if it is it is too dangerous to go there right now.". She paused. "Let's drop it for now Harry". It was clear that the roaring wind outside was unsettling her. He wondered if she didn't feel confident in the spell she put on the tent.

"Check your watch", she said.

"Err...ok. It is one minute after midnight...Why do you ask?"

"It's a new year then", she said.

"Really?", he said.

"Happy new year Harry", she said and embraced him.

"Happy new year Hermione", he answered quietly. "...may 1998 be a good year".

She yawned and they both decided to go to bed. The wind outside was making a lot of noise, and the tent was starting to shake. Harry changed into his pyjamas and went into the bed. It was freezing cold, the fire didn't seem to help. He lay there for half an hour not being able to sleep when he heard footsteps. It was Hermione standing there in her night gown staring at him.

"It is so cold. Unbearably cold", she said. He didn't answer at first. Seeing her in her night gown awoke something within him. Something that had been dormant ever since his wand had been destroyed.

"Yeah". It was the only thing he could say. What else could he say? What could he do about it?

"I was thinking", started Hermione and her cheeks got a strong color of pink. "...if we could sleep in the same bed tonight"

"Hermione..". Harry gazed into her eyes. "I don't think that is a good idea"

"Just until the blizzard is over", she said quickly. "Please Harry...I'm worried"

"I can't Hermione", Harry said. "I can't have you in my bed. If you do that I...". He stopped. "I don't know what..."

She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Please Harry...I'm worried we might die tonight otherwise". His eyes opened wide. Was she that cold?

"I don't know"

"Please..."

After a few seconds of thought Harry moved to the side and she took it as a sign that she could lie down.

"Thanks Harry", she said while covering herself with the blanket. Harry felt his dick move at the moment when she lay down beside him. He moved to the side so they wouldn't touch. But she followed him and soon their sides touched. There was no longer any stopping to it as his dick lengthened even more. It was now creating a tent out of the blanket and he knew she could see it.

"Oh...", she said quietly after noticing it.

"I'm sorry", he said without thinking.

"I don't mind", she said looking down at the blanket. She closed her eyes. He did they same and tried to empty his head. But sleep wouldn't come so he opened them again. He lay there for what felt like an hour. His dick was still fully erect and refused to go down. He finally looked at her again and saw that her eyes were open as well. He looked back. After a few minutes she turned towards him.

"Harry", she whispered. He turned his head. "I am still cold. Could you embrace me?"

At these words he immediately turned around and hugged her. Her breasts pressed up against his chest, his arms were around her body and her arms were around his neck. He could feel his dick pressing up on her hips. The warmth embraced him as much as she did. He couldn't stand it anymore. He looked into her beautiful eyes, and as fiercely as the storm was pressing on the tent, he kissed her. She returned the kiss and placed her hands around his head. Her leg moved over his leg so that his dick was touching her pussy indirectly. Only the fabric between the clothes kept them apart. He could feel the heat of it radiate through him.

They broke off and he began taking off his pyjamas. When he was naked he grabbed her night gown and tried to pull it up. This proved to be more difficult than he thought as he couldn't get it off. With all his patience lost he ripped off the gown and threw it on the floor. She was now completely naked. Her breasts was just as perky as before, her curvy body led his eyes downwards towards her pussy. It was hairless, and Harry had never seen anything as beautiful as this before. He stared at her for a while.

"Harry, please. You're embarrassing me", she said.

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about", Harry said.

He turned her around on her back and she looked back at him wildly, waiting for what he would do. She looked at his dick and gaped in astonishment. She must think it is big. He grabbed her breast and she moaned. He let go and his fingers trailed down her body and stopped. He couldn't take in any longer. His body was filled with the drive to do just one thing. He spread her legs and directed his dick towards her entrance. As his dick touched the lips he saw some precum exiting from his dick. He entered slightly and she moaned loudly. This turned him on even more and he entered further. When he was a few inches inside she gasped.

"Harry. That hurts. B..be gentle please"

Surprised at this he pulled out, and then pushed inside again a few inches. He looked at her face while doing this. Her eyes were closed, in a mix of pleasure and pain.

"Hermione", Harry panted. "Can I go further?"

"Yess", she said softly. "But gently"

He pushed further inside softly. But when he pulled out this time there was blood on his dick.

"Hermione. Are you...?"

"It's fine Harry, that happens the first time"

He continued to enter her. It was now easier to go deeper. She was now moaning only in pleasure and her face showed it. She was looking at him with hungry eyes and that was the trigger that made him go all the way inside. The feeling was like heaven and Hermione let out a loud moan.

"Ohh...Harry"

He began moving rhythmically in and out while she continued to moan. As her began to move faster she moaned louder. Overwhelmed by the euphoria Harry grabbed her hips and started to pound her. He was fucking her hard and as he looked up at her and met her eyes he knew that he loved her. Her face was filled with pleasure and she was moaning so loudly. He was looking into her eyes when her entire body started to twitch, just like he had seen her do that night. She let out an involuntary scream as she orgasmed. This made Harry feel like he was approaching his limit as well. He continued to fuck her hard, and felt the tension building up. He looking straight into her beautiful eyes as he came. Powerful bursts of cum shot inside Hermione's pussy. He moaned, she moaned and he thrust at least eight times before all the cum had exited from his dick. As he pulled out he noticed that cum was dripping from her pussy.

He fell down beside her on his back, exhausted. She cuddled up close to him with a fulfilled smile on her face. She leaned to her side and embraced him. He pulled the blanket over them and fell asleep at once. The storm outside roared on, but they would not feel cold tonight.


End file.
